We live in a tough world. There are so many forces out there that tell you to fall in line, do your job, and only a select few can and should be placed ahead of others. We are told this so many times that we truly believe that if everyone is special than no one can be. That’s the lie that causes so many problems with so many people. What if, for one day, heck, for one HOUR we all believed we were special? That there was something about us that made us unique and valuable? What if we believed that we were needed and not replaceable like many employers want us to believe?

This doesn’t mean that the world would be flooded with pop stars overnight. Not everyone’s potential places them in the national spotlight. Thank heavens. Being special and unique doesn’t grant us the abilities we desire. PhD’s and perfect SAT scores are out of reach to the majority of the world’s capabilities but that doesn’t (or shouldn’t) demean the person who didn’t graduate high school and labors with their hands and sore muscles day in and out. The true power of you comes from being the person you were meant to become.

What if you don’t want to become what you are? There are countless stories of men and women who decide to follow their dreams and sacrifice a lot to make that happen. But what if you’re not that person? What if life doesn’t allow you to quit that terrible job so you can go back to school? Is happiness denied to you? No. It just takes on a different form than others.

“Do what makes you happy” is a dangerous phrase because 1) everyone has a different definition of happiness and 2) doing what makes you happy may infringe on someone else’s pursuit for the same goal. For the most part though, there is a lot of truth to it. If you like to cook, cook! If you like to sing, sing! The misstep is sometimes thinking that these things have to become who you are. How many thousands of waiters/waitresses are there in New York and L.A. waiting for their big break? For some, it happens. For the majority of everyone else, it doesn’t. How much better could these lives have been if they had used acting/modeling/singing/etc as a hobby instead of letting it define who they were?

No one’s job defines who they are. Some lucky few get to adore the jobs they have but the rest of us need to adore the lives we lead instead. Be inspired, be brave, and take all that you are to make and incredible life. Some may sail the seven seas while others may never leave their hometown. Both are equally capable of enjoying life to the fullest. Don’t be afraid to be who you are. Sometimes that means accepting you might not publish that novel, or record that golden record but it does mean that you can be the best at what you do and find the things that make you and those around you happy.